Despite the recent popularity of Meatless Mondays, San Francisco is still a burger lovers dream. In the past five years I have tried no less than 150 burgers in our mini urban sprawl. Put a slab of meat between any type of carbohydrate and I am raring to go.

I love a greasy spoon burger, a veggie burger, bison burger, classic burger, burger with a fried egg on top, mushroom Swiss burger, and recently even a bacon cheeseburger pizza. Yet there is something that distinguishes a really good, gourmet burger from the pack; a burger that looks pretty enough to walk the runway in NYC (if burgers replaced waif-like models on an all-lettuce diet).

The time has come to embrace the Fifth Floor signature burger. Served with bourbon-braised onions, French Comte cheese and the most beautiful bun you’ve seen to date, this burger is one for the record books. The best part? If you sit in the lounge of Fifth Floor, you can take advantage of the $25 bourbon, burger and beer deal. Read more about Fifth Floor and this incredible combination in my SF Burger Examiner column HERE.

Anne Pao is a contributing food writer for SF Station and Yum as well as the SF Burger Examiner. When she is not satisfying carnivorous tendencies, you can find her adventuring in the Bay area outdoors. For more Pao reads check out her blog at http://sftaoofpao.com

• Tag: Best of, burgers, Chef David Bazirgan, Cocktails, Fifth Floor, fine dining, Restaurants, Union Square